US 12,376,419 B2 · Spectrum-splitting concentrator photovoltaic module with direct fluid cooling, and associated methods

Abstract

A spectrum-splitting concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) module utilizes direct fluid cooling of photovoltaic cells in which an array of photovoltaic cells is fully immersed in a flowing heat transfer fluid. Specifically, at least a portion of both the front face and the rear face of each photovoltaic cell comes into direct contact with heat transfer fluid, thereby enhancing coupling of waste heat out of the photovoltaic cells and into the heat transfer fluid. The CPV module is designed to maximize transmission of infrared light not absorbed by the photovoltaic cells, and therefore may be combined with a thermal receiver that captures the transmitted infrared light as part of a hybrid concentrator photovoltaic-thermal system.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A spectrum splitting concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) module, comprising:

a transmissive substrate having a top surface;
a plurality of photovoltaic cells, each of the plurality of photovoltaic cells having a front face and a rear face;
a plurality of supports on the top surface, the rear face of each of the plurality of photovoltaic cells being affixed to two of the plurality of supports;
and
a plurality of spacers, each having a spacer height and a respective bottom face on the top surface, and forming a fluid channel having a height defined by the spacer height, the plurality of supports and the plurality of photovoltaic cells being located within the fluid channel;
wherein heat transfer fluid, when flowing through the fluid channel, directly contacts the front face and at least part of the rear face of each of the plurality of photovoltaic cells.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

17/619,187Filed 14 Jun 2020 · us provisional application

Priority

14 Jun 2019

Published

US 2022/0310864 A129 Sep 2022

Granted

29 Jul 2025

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

H10F 77/492
Directly associated or integrated with photovoltaic cells, e.g. light-reflecting means or light-concentrating means: spectrum-splitting means,…
F24S 20/20
Solar heat collectors specially adapted for particular uses or environments: solar heat collectors for receiving concentrated solar energy, e.g.…
H10F 19/10
Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one photovoltaic cell covered by group H10F10/00, e.g. photovoltaic…
H10F 77/67
Arrangements for cooling directly associated or integrated with photovoltaic cells, e.g. heat sinks directly associated with the photovoltaic…:…

Spectrum-splitting concentrator photovoltaic module with direct fluid cooling, and associated methods

Life of this patent

Spectrum-splitting concentrator photovoltaic module with direct fluid cooling, and associated methods

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11